This invention relates to a rail structure and to an external rail system utilizing the rail structure affixed to the hull of a boat in order to control water spray and control direction of the boat during use of the boat. The problem in the art to which this invention apertains are the need for an external rail system for boats in which elongated rails are structurally affixed to the external surfaces of boat hulls and by which such rails collectively have, some and in some cases all, of the following functional attributes of deflecting spray; of reducing the tendency of the bow to go under in choppy or turbulent seas; of reducing heel and side-slipping while turning; of contributing lift to a fast-moving hull; of acting as a fender to protect the hull; of contributing a safety factor by providing an accessible hand hold or foot step for swimmers or a man overboard; of reducing the rocking motion of the boat while moored or anchored; and of adding flotation to the boat.
Prior to the present invention, it has been proposed by Glass, U.S. Pat. No. 3,361,104 to provide rails in the hull of a boat in order to reduce pounding of the boat during use. The rails are generally triangular in shape having a sharp point at the position of the rail most distant from the boat hull. The exposed unsupported surfaces are easily deformed through accidental contact during used. In addition, the sharp edge of the rail and its position is inefficient in deflecting spray away from the boat interior during use. Glass rails were not successful because of the bond failure between the resilient material and the base attachment.
It has been proposed in French Patent 762,452 of Derro to utilize an attachment fitted to the submerged section of a boat hull to provide a planing surface to effect a lifting force on a boat hull during use. The attachment includes a series of truncated triangles when viewed in cross-section. Since the attachment is submerged, and is on the bottom of the boat hull, it does not provide water spray control from the exposed hull surface during use of the boat.
It would be desirable to provide a boat rail and a boat rail system which can be easily and permanently attached to a boat hull, which is sufficiently strong to retain its shape during normal boat use and which can be positioned anywhere on a boat hull to provide spray control or control of the boat direction during use.